The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, made up of sons of jazz musician Phil Cohran, performed for WMSE-FM and Tap Milwaukee Thursday afternoon before a gig at the Milwaukee Film Festival Opening Night Party. The band is featured in the new documentary "Brothers Hypnotic," which is being screened at the festival Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Journal Sentinel photo by Bill Schulz.| Sept. 26, 2013»Read Full Blog Post(1)

Top 30 often means destination dining. The restaurants aren't necessarily places where you'd stop for a quick bite or an ultracasual meal, so that means a whole lot of delicious food is left off the list. | Sept. 26, 2013»Read Full Article(4)

But this fact-based tale set in the 1970s world of Formula One auto racing is not just for gearheads or thrill-seekers. Sure, they will love it. But director Ron Howard and screenwriter Peter Morgan assume the split template of their previous collaboration "Frost/Nixon" for another fact-based story that could have been called "Hunt/Lauda." | Sept. 26, 2013»Read Full Article

It's somewhat unusual — and always impressive — when a child star matures into as accomplished an actor as Joseph Gordon-Levitt has. But, in "Don Jon," in which he is not only the star, but also the writer and director, Gordon-Levitt shows that his potential has just begun to develop.

In "Don Jon," Gordon-Levitt uses a lighthearted tone to tell the story of a happy, churchgoing, shallow (but not necessarily stupid) Jersey boy. | Sept. 26, 2013»Read Full Article

DUE OUT TUESDAY

THIS IS THE END (Sony) While partying at James Franco's house, Seth Rogen, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Jonah Hill and friends, all playing comic versions of themselves, discover the world is coming to an end — right outside their door. Crude apocalyptic-stoner comedy loaded with star cameos, including Emma Watson, Michael Cera, Rihanna. (R; pervasive crude and sexual content, brief nudity, pervasive language, drug use, some violence) ★★1/2| Sept. 26, 2013»Read Full Article

The idea that a woman is not complete without a man seems a little antiquated in 2013, but that is essentially the message in "Baggage Claim," a recycled and contrived romantic comedy that suggests that no matter what else she might have going for her, a woman cannot have true happiness without a husband.

Like every genre counterpart before her, Montana Moore (Paula Patton) seems to have it all. She loves her job as a flight attendant and has a great apartment in Baltimore. She has devoted friends who care for her. On the surface, it would appear that life is good. | Sept. 26, 2013»Read Full Article

The first "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," loosely based on the popular children's book by Judi and Ron Barrett, was quirky, endearing and successful, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the filmmakers cooked up a second helping.

Hansberry-Sands Theater Company will open a production Friday of "The Old Settler," John Henry Redwood's comedy about two sisters in 1940s Harlem, at the Marcus Center's Vogel Hall, 123 E. State St.

"'Old settler' was a denigrating descriptor for what white folk at the time would have called a spinster, a unmarried woman past 40 without prospects," Myron Meisel wrote in a Hollywood Reporter review of a California production earlier this year. | Sept. 26, 2013»Read Full Article

Celebrate the kick-off of the 2013 Milwaukee Film Festival at Discovery World, 500 N. Harbor St., tonight at 8:30 at the film festival's opening night party.

Headlining the evening is Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, a New York brass band that's played with Mos Def and Prince - and is the subject of one of the films showing at this year's festival, "Brothers Hypnotic." Tonight it will join Milwaukee's DJ Bizzon, The Florentine Opera, DJ Madhatter, Evan Christian, Dead Man's Carnival and visuals from Video Villains. | Sept. 26, 2013»Read Full Blog Post